Innocence
Part 16
I declare no rights or ownership to Rizzoli and Isles. I do, however; claim to have a wonderful dictionary befitting of a lexicographer.
For my U.K. friends: I have Falconwood as a country type town. My apologies if it is not as rural as I make it seem in the story.
Jane was startled awake by the cabin steward, ordering her to put on her seatbelt. Only by rote was she able to accomplish snapping the ends together as her mind went from sleepy confusion to outright shock of almost being tossed from her seat. The plane had hit horrible turbulence and by the sounds, it was pushing the older jet to the edge of its operating capabilities.
Mr. Isles was equally shaken as he glanced around at the trembling plane. One particular spot shook the plane so badly, that the steward lost his balance and fell down, crashing into a short table and shattering the glass tumblers that resided there.
Jane gripped the armrest as another wave of turbulence rolled through the plane. The moans of the cabin steward caught her attention. When she saw the blood welling up from a nasty cut on the side of the older man's head, Jane's natural instinct took charge and with a flick of her fingers she was unbuckled.
With both hands Jane took a secure hold on the seat in front of her and stood. Hand over hand she made her way to the fallen man, it took all the strength she had in her hands and legs just to keep herself upright.
When she finally made it to the steward, the gash in his head was bleeding profusely. Jane carefully knelt down to his side, her knees just outside of the shattered glass.
"Hey, what's your name?" Jane asked as she visually assessed the damage to the man's head.
The steward moaned and gasped in pain as Jane removed some shards of glass that was outside the wound itself.
"My name is Charles…you can…" Charles and Jane both yelped as they hit another terrible spot of turbulence and the plane dropped out from under them. Jane having no other way to secure the injured man threw herself across him and grasped the bottom edge of the bolted down couch where Richard was belted in.
Jane grimaced as the jagged edges of glass bit into her skin through her shirt, but she held on; knowing that she was the only thing securing Charles to the floor.
It seemed as though they were falling much too fast, straight down to the open Atlantic sea. The shaking shook the cockpit door open and Jane distinctly heard the captain yelling mayday into his headset while working strenuously with his co-pilot to pull the yolk back.
At one point, Jane felt her legs becoming weightless. She shoved her feet under a single person chair and wrapped her legs around the center post.
Then she closed her eyes and did something she had not done in years. She prayed.
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…"
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Maura walked along the path made up of hard packed earth. She truly loved these woods. In this ancient woodland was where Maura first thought about being a teacher. Just to share her love of the world and the things that made it live and thrive called to her like no other profession.
Oxleas Woods were some of the most ancient forestry found, some parts date back to over eight-thousand years. The underground water reservoir at Oxleas meadow was also a wondrous spot for a young Maura to explore and contemplate life in process. Her childhood wasn't all bad, her fondness for these ancient woods were proof of that.
Maura took her time to examine the wooded area, but she knew she could not hide out here for much longer. Sooner or later she would have to face her mother. Maura would stand firm with Constance and make her understand that even though she was her daughter, as a grown woman, she would never be at her beck and call ever again.
The young blond had something now that she had never had before, she had Jane. Sweet Jane, she really missed her fiery Italian. For the first time ever, Maura could picture herself with someone by her side. She was not alone now, the little girl and woman who lacked confidence were no more. Over the months, Jane had taught her that she did have worth beyond her family's name and empire.
Maura stopped and adjusted her hat. The manor had been too strained with tension for her to stay indoors, so while her mother took a phone call, Maura slipped away and hurriedly changed her clothes and left the home by leaping over a low banister and escaping to the woodland beyond.
She rather enjoyed wearing the whole British country outfit. The one she was wearing today consisted of: leather knee boots, tweed trousers and over jacket, a pale sea-blue vest and eggshell white button down shirt, plus hat.
Maura stopped all movement as she picked up the rhythmic shuffle of dead leaves and snapping dry twigs of someone walking through the woods, off the trail. She watched as a form melded from the dense forest in the form of the young man who had loaded the luggage into the boot of the car yesterday.
"Lady Maura, I beg ya pardon, but Mistress Isles wants to see ya at the manor in the library." The young man stated mildly.
Maura turned away from the young man and looked longingly down the trail. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the gentle caress of the breeze that had picked up while they were standing there. With a deep breath she hardened her resolve and headed back to the residence.
The young man watched her go, with a hesitant stride; he caught up with the heiress.
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Richard Isles came to surrounded by smoke and torn fuselage. He was startled when something bumped his foot. Looking down, he saw Jane waking up. As his confusion cleared he remembered that they were in a plane, he fumbled to release his seatbelt. When the belt unlatched he fell forward slightly.
"Jane, wake up Jane…come on Jane!" Richard spoke urgently.
Jane moaned and then pushed herself up on her knees. "God, did we crash!?"
"Yes Jane come on we need to get situated. I don't know if we are near land or what!"
The cockpit door opened and the co-pilot staggered out, holding a hand to his misshapen shoulder.
Jane and Richard caught sight of the pilot slumped over the yolk, by the look of his bloody head; he did not survive the crash.
"Is everybody ok?" The co-pilot asked.
Jane and Richard nodded and half stood bracing each other for balance.
"Listen, my name is Chuck, we have crashed, but we are intact. We had to do a water landing. We need to evacuate the plane."
Chuck knelt next to Charles and checked his pulse before going on.
"There is a life raft in that closet, I am going to punch out the emergency window and inflate it. I need you two to help Charles to the raft while I get the pilot. DO you understand!?"
After receiving affirmative nods, Chuck went about his tasks quickly. In what seemed like hours, was only a matter of minutes as they all moved with urgency.
Chuck pushed through the emergency opening onto the left wing of the plane and pulled the rip cord on the box and inflated the life raft. He moved towards the back flaps with the anchor rope in hand as Richard and Jane shuffled a half conscience Charles out of the plane onto the wing.
The plane was now starting to take on water faster. Jane thanked God for the lightly rolling waves, anything more powerful; they would be in much worse shape.
When Richard, Charles and Jane were situated in the life raft, Chuck bonded back into the now sinking plane after securing the anchor rope between the flap break.
Jane looked around; there was no land in sight. All they could do was pray and hope for a quick rescue.
It all happened so quickly they did not realize the plane's left wing, which Chuck the co-pilot had fastened the anchor rope to, tipped down into the sea.
Jane dove onto the sinking wing and desperately tried to pull the rope, that was wedged in-between the flaps; out. The plane jerked and rolled to the left further.
Jane knew she had to hurry, just a few inches more and she would have to work under the water. In a last ditch effort, she flung herself over the side of the wing and braced both feet against the flaps and pulled as hard as she could.
It finally came loose, but now the entire plane was sinking faster as the sea rushed through the emergency opening.
Richard grabbed the anchor rope and pulled Jane in. He could tell Jane's strength was flagging. Swimming in the ocean fully clothe was not an easy thing to do.
Jane, with the help of Richard, pulled herself over into the raft and laid back against the rubber side to catch her breath.
Her thoughts were on two things, surviving and getting to Maura.
'Hang on Maur, I am coming!'